Embalming fluid



Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED s'rA'rss.

- armamrmo nun).

Hilton Ira Jones, Wilmette, !ll., assignor to National Selected Mortioians, .Chi poration of District of Columbia Application ammuat. 1939,. Serial No. 29am "No Drawing.

3 Claims.

The present invention is directed to-the embalming art andmore particularly to improved compositions for use inpreserving. dead bodies. -oThe subjectmatter of the present application is disclosed in my prior application now Patent No.

2,118,842, dated/April 12, 1938. p i In the use'ofembalming fluids I have found it highly desirable that in certain cases the surface tension thereof be either raised or .lowered beyond the normal value of the embalming material. Thus, in general, it is a great advantage if the surface tension of the embalming fluid is lowered for the reason that such lowering of 15 surface tension facilitates the passage of the embalming material through the tissues and capillaries of the body. This is highly desirable where a body has emaciated and shrunken areas wherein the capillaries are of small diameter and also in cases which have been affected by arteriosclerosis and where there has been thrombosis or other obstructions tending to cut down the size of-capillaries or arteries through which the fluid must pass. a

25 Such lowering of surface tension to facilitate passage of fluids through the body may be utilized in several ways in the embalming art. Thus, for example, the embalmer may utilize my invention in order to convey coloring matter through the body in order to impart a natural color thereto, and it may also be employed to facilitate t e passage of bactericidal agents as well as har ening or tanning fluids such as are generally used in embalming. 85 Various other applications of my invention will nodoubt suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Of the substances tested I have found bile salts to be highly efllcacious for lowering the surface tension of embalming fluids. These salts comprise essentially the sodium salts of taurocholic 55 and at a very low cost. This isvdilutedto a cago, Ill.,.a corstrength of about 0.1 to'0.2 per cent solids for convenient storage or shipment, but is used in much lower concentrations.,-

I have found that e eifect of suchsalts on the-surface tension of water varies considerably with the concentration, reaching a maximum of efficiency with thisdiiutionof-OJ to 0.2 per cent solids. This maybe further diluted for use by combining one part of said solution with about 64 parts of water. a

In general, a highly effective working solution may be of any concentration of solids of about 0.2 per cent or below, although I'd( not consider my invention as limited to such a flgure.

' The following formula represents. an example of an embalming fluid embodying my invention:

Example I Parts by weight Water 48 so Glycerine 8 Methanol--- l6 Bor a 5 Sodium nitrate 7 a Phenol- 3 Clarified solution (0.2 per cent solids) of inspissated ox-gall 2 Formaldehyde (-per cent) 210 'I am aware that soaps in general are known 39 to reduce surface tension, but such materials as a class are unsuitable for embalming purposes, inasmuch as they form precipitates with hard water and especially in the presence of calcareous matter in the circulatory system of a body.

I am also aware that certain alcoholic embalming fluids show a relatively low surface tension, but-this value is considerably raised after such fluids enter the body and are diluted with the aqueous body fluids, and becomes practically equal to that of water.

'I have found that the bile salts maintain their function of reducing surface tension even when used in extremely low concentration. Thus, I have found that this material maintains its capacity to reduce surface tension at dilutions well below 1 per cent. b

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that compositions to be suitable for use in em- 50 balming fluids must retain their desirable characteristics. in the presence of both the embalming ingredients and the body fluids. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that compositions toibe suitable for use in embalming fluids in: lowering the surface tension of said fluid comprising bile salts, said "agent facilitating the passage of "said fluid through the capillaries whereby coloring mattenmayfbe conveyed through the bodyfimparting "a colon thereto.

2,219,927 vmust not deleteriously aflectthe preserving po- 2. An embalming fluid containing an agent for lowering the surface tension of said fluid con- 'sisting essentially of sodium salts of taurocholic and glycocholic acids, said agent being stable in the presence of embalmingand body fluids and 6 facilitating the passage of said fluid through the capillaries and tissues of the body.

3. In the embalming art, an agentfacilitating the passage of embalming fluid through the capillaries and tissues of the body consisting oi. an 10 aqueous solution of ox-gall.

HILTON IRA JONES. 

